Travel news

Edelweiss to launch direct Zurich-HCMC flights

July 04,2018 10:33 AM

Edelweiss, Switzerland’s leisure airline and sister company of Swiss International Air Lines, has announced it will open direct flights between Zurich in Switzerland and HCMC from 15 November. An Edelweiss Airbus A340-300 seating 314 passengers, including 27 in Edelweiss Business Class, will fly twice weekly between the two cities and allow Swiss and other European tourists to reach Vietnam with ease and in comfort. The number of Swiss visitors to Vietnam is on the increase, with the 33,000 last year marking an annual rise of over 5%. As well as opening up Vietnam to Swiss and other European visitors, the new route also offers a convenient direct flight for travellers from around HCMC to the heart of Europe, with many onward flight options from Zurich to other European cities and world-wide destinations with Swiss International Air Lines.

HCMC Tour Guide Association founded

July 04,2018 10:05 AM

The Ho Chi Minh City Tour Guide Association under the HCMC Tourism Association has been established, with more than 400 members. The association is a venue for tour guides to meet and share their experience and skills and learn about their rights. It is considering proposing 24/7 health insurance for tour guides, who usually face a high risk from accidents, and will also work with the city’s Department of Tourism to offer solutions to develop the city’s tourism industry. There are about 22,000 tour guides around Vietnam, including some 5,000 in HCMC.

Hanoi’s latest walking street to offer free wi-fi

July 04,2018 10:31 AM

Free wi-fi is being installed at Hanoi’s second pedestrian space, Trinh Cong Son in Tay Ho District, as in other tourist destinations in the city. Installation is expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year. Local authorities have also worked on setting up additional lighting in the area and on enhancing motor vehicle management, security, environmental sanitation and food safety.

The walking street has drawn a large number of people on the weekends since opening in May, with an average of 5,000-6,000 visitors each week. The street, named after Trinh Cong Son (1939-2001), one of the greatest songwriters of modern Vietnam, is designed to be a venue with diverse entertainment activities for local people and visitors, such as street food, shopping, art performances, and folk games for children.

The first pedestrian space in Hanoi was around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter and quickly found favour among Hanoians and tourists.

Aid helping Thua Thien Hue develop traditional crafts

July 04,2018 10:04 AM

Central Thua Thien Hue province has recently received a financial aid package of $29,000 from an individual in the UK to help develop its traditional craft products. The aid will be used for marketing activities and product development at traditional craft villages in the province in addition to maintaining the exhibition of craft products at the Hue Centre for Economic Development and Cultural Preservation. The province plans to invest VND144.3 trillion ($6.35 billion) in developing craft villages to 2020, with a focus on vocational training, developing new crafts, and expanding consumption markets. Craft villages will be restored or improved, such as Hue copper casting village, Phuoc Tich pottery village, My Xuyen wood carving village, Sinh folk painting village, Thuy Thanh conical hat village, and Zeng weaving village.